ATONEMENT
by Ergelina
Summary: His world was lost, when he lost her. She barely remembers anything, but nothing about the times they had been them. One boy brings her back to home, to him, and he's determined to make her to remember what she forgot, and lost. Unaware of the secrets her past is carrying, most of them being deadlier than many could even being to comprehend. [KakashiXOC] First installment.
1. Enter Mayuko and Kaede

**Atonement  
**Naruto first installment fanfiction

**Description: **

His world was lost, when he lost her. She barely remembers anything, but nothing about the times they had been them. One boy brings her back to home, to him, and he's determined to make her to remember what she forgot, and lost. Unaware of the secrets her past is carrying, most of them being deadlier than many could even being to comprehend. _[KakashiXOC]_

**Chapter 1: **_Enter Mayuko and Kaede_

Her dark brown orbs absorbed every word on the page of a book she was currently enchanted with, if that was the correct word. No, she was _pulled_ into the story-line (she was one of those extremely _rare_ women_, _who read such a dirty book openly), trying her best in ignoring Shizune's glare directed at the book.

"…Seriously, Mayuko-san," Shizune spoke, her black eyes showing clear dislike towards the dirty book written by one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. "How can you like this…book?"

TonTon, who was sitting on Shizune's lap, oinked with agreement only to shrink back at the sight of Mayuko's summoning – a black panther with emerald green and amber yellow mixed cat eyes, wearing a golden collar with six small, purple marble beads on it – eying the pig rather hungrily as its tail twitched around playfully. TonTon let out a small squeak as the panther made a playful movement towards the pink pig, who instantly hid behind Shizune's back, glaring at the panther as it chuckled from pure amusement.

"Cause its interesting?"

Mayuko didn't really pay attention to the panther as she patted its head, making her summoning animal to place his head at her lap, peacefully purring.

"Is not!"

She looked up at her long time friend, perhaps even a best-friend, with a little smirk, "And how would you, Shizune-_chan, _know that? Kaede – stop torturing TonTon, he's not a food, how many times do I have to tell ya this?" Mayuko added, finally taking a notice of a shivering and oinking TonTon behind Shizune (his owner, however, has yet to take a notice of it for as she's too used to the sight and distracted by the red-haired woman sitting to her left, diagonally).

The black panther, called Kaede, appeared to be pouting as he 'tched', _'…Must you ruin my fun, Lady Mayuko?'_

Shizune blinked, her face instantly turned into an interesting color of bright red, "Um…umm…" she tried to find correct words to answer her friend's question, picking TonTon up from the behind of her and placed her back into her lap, effectively calming the poor pig down.

"Could it have something to do with the time, when my precious book went missing – ya know when we visited that Onsen in Otafuku two weeks ago?" Mayuko asked, leaning further back into the wooden chair in the bar Tsunade had dragged the three of them earlier for relax and to get wasted, watching their blonde haired teacher (or for the better lack of a word – leader, not that she would ever openly admit it aloud) ordering a new Sake bottle, half-heartedly listening to their conversation as the older Senju woman was lost in her own world.

Kaede had curled himself into something that resembled a ball, being quick to fall asleep or at least pretended to be. TonTon, however, _was_ asleep (having finally relaxed, when the panther wasn't teasing him anymore).

Shizune's face now resembled that of a tomato, "I-I didn't read it!" Mayuko's eyes glinted with amusement and sort of accusation, making Shizune's eyes to widen from horror, when she realized that she had basically turned herself in (what kind of Shinobi was she to be defeated that easily, even if it was just a silly argument). "…Just the beginning part…" Shizune admitted, lowering her head ashamed, not daring to meet Mayuko's victoriously shining eyes.

"Just the beginning part?" Mayuko repeated, tilting her head, mockingly. "So – you don't know the ending at all?"

The dark haired woman, clothed in casual dark colored Kimono, froze.

Mayuko knew that Shizune was more curious than the woman admitted, she had known – the moment this orange covered book was missing from her table – that the culprit was Shizune, and had immediately gone to demand to get her beloved (_maybe not so beloved, but…treasured, perhaps? No…a likeable book, yeah – likeable!_) book back only to find Shizune reading it in her room, eyes comically wide.

"…I'm sorry…"

She let out a gleeful laugh at Shizune's expense, "Oh, come on – it's not so bad! It's a good way to kill time, ya know?"

"Stop laughing!" Shizune snapped, embarrassed as she reached for her sake cup and devoured half of it, eyes shut. "It's a dirty and idiotic book, nothing more or less." _Even if I did like some parts of it…_

Sarutobi Mayuko shook her head, turning a page of Icha Icha Paradise, before also reaching to her Sake bottle and refilled her cup. It felt good, drinking a rice wine after such a tiresome day – mainly, having followed Tsunade, the old hag, around different gambling places (starting from random to highest betting places) in this Tanzaku city, which had unfortunate amount of gambling and sake houses.

At some point, Mayuko had given up on trying to help Tsunade to win, and had wondered off (but not without patting dejected looking Shizune on her shoulder, telling her good luck to keep an eye for their mutual friend while she, Mayuko, would be out in the town having fun that statement had earned her a death glare) with Kaede dutifully following her tracks.

During her travelling with Senju Tsunade, she eventually learned to keep the exact number in her bank account a secret; only carrying with her a certain amount of money that should help Mayuko to live off until they reached a new town. It mostly depended on their destination and her yearning for endless alcohol, sometimes even her gambling addiction (something she had gotten from Tsunade, much for Shizune's and Kaede's disbelief).

Disregarding Kaede's warnings of not to gamble (bringing Tsunade's bad luck as an example of what could become of her should she continue on like this), her curiosity had gotten the better hold of her and much for both of their surprise – Mayuko seemed to have Lady Luck following her due to good winning stakes (she won and lost, although, she won more than lost, and that's more than Tsunade can say).

It had been Kaede, who told her to stop, and go take a look at the city as a tourist or settle down in a bar (alright, the panther didn't _tell _her but _nagged _her to stop, asking her if she wanted to end up like the old hag – Kaede's nickname for Tsunade, which pisses the Senju woman off whenever he addresses her like that).

After a little debating, Mayuko decided to go to bar, knowing that Shizune would have TonTon to pick up her scent and guide them to her and Kaede (she also had a bad feeling, one that she couldn't simply ignore and when people had ran past her screaming something about big snakes and a monster, Mayuko _knew _something was amiss and there was no better place than their favorite bar to wait up for the missing companions, hoping that they hadn't gotten involved in something troublesome).

By the time Shizune, TonTon and Tsunade arrived, Mayuko was halfway to being drunk (sulking and moping in the corner), and yet, she still instantly noticed the strange mood around the trio, especially Tsunade's (her bad gut feeling only intensified at the sight of her friends' expressions). She was seconds away from wanting to ask what's wrong, only to bit her tongue at the look of old hag's amber brown eyes – dark and sad, and Shizune's worried and almost panic look.

Whatever had happened, it couldn't have been a good thing, Mayuko concluded, watching Shizune to drink her Sake while casting overly worried looks at their mentor.

Kaede stirred, making Mayuko to look at her animal companion curiously, before looking at the entrance where the panther's attention was – a couple had walked in, immediately stopping as the white haired geezer's eyes landed on her block. Mayuko watched as his eyes narrowed from tiredness, surprise or shock, she couldn't tell what it was. All she knew was that _this _couldn't simply be a coincidence.

"Ah?" the Legendary medic said, her cheeks rosy from being drunk, just as her old teammate pointed a finger at them – a rather rude gesture.

"Tsunade!"

The kid with him looked equally surprised, his blue eyes widened as he turned to stare at the three different women, looking forth and back from his companion to Tsunade.

"Jiraiya?" Tsunade stood up from her seat, drunkenly leaning onto the table in shock. "Why are you here?" Evident surprise was latched in her voice.

Mayuko raised an eyebrow at the blonde haired kid that made her head to ache funnily. She frowned, trying to figure out what kind of connections the kid could possibly have with her for as her head would only ache, whenever she tried to remember something from her past (her blurry memories was part of the reason behind her sulking and moping).

Shizune was as stunned as Tsunade and Mayuko were, all of them wondering as to why Jiraiya – one of Tsunade's former teammates and part of Legendary Sannin (as well as Mayuko's possibly favorite author) – would have gone through the trouble to track down their whereabouts, when Mayuko and Shizune had made it almost as difficult as it was possible to cover their tracks. The dark red haired woman shrugged, when she noticed Shizune's questioning look on her (probably thinking the same as she did or at least she liked to think so).

"I finally found you. Boy I'm exhausted," Jiraiya spoke as he walked over to the table and sat opposite to Tsunade, meaning that he was right next Mayuko and Kaede (who was watching the new arrivals every movement with narrowed eyes, a sign that showed Kaede's distrust).

The kid paused at the bar entrance, unable to take his blue eyes off of the dark red-brownish haired woman, unable to believe that the woman was sitting right _there – in front of him_ with Ero-sennin's old teammate and another woman. It wasn't right, something was wrong, Naruto thought as he came out of his trance and sat down at the table along from Jiraiya (not without eying the black panther warily, even asking if he was going to bite him or not, making Kaede to playfully show the kid his fangs, getting the wanted reaction, which was startled scream from the boy), frowning as he seemed displeased of the knowledge that they had finally found their target and shocked at the sight of Mayuko.

Shizune stiffened, especially when she noticed the kid's questioning look on her dark red-brownish haired friend, not really wanting to know how much the blonde kid knows about Sarutobi Mayuko's past. Things weren't going to be peaceful once the village elders, and some other certain people, were to find out that she – Sarutobi Mayuko – was still very much alive.

…_And drinking and sometimes gambling and reading that dirty book…_


	2. An Impossible Offer

**Atonement  
**Naruto first installment fanfiction

**Description: **

His world was lost, when he lost her. She barely remembers anything, but nothing about the times they had been them. One boy brings her back to home, to him, and he's determined to make her to remember what she forgot, and lost. Unaware of the secrets her past is carrying, most of them being deadlier than many could even being to comprehend. _[KakashiXOC]_

**Chapter 2: **_An Impossible Offer_

Before Mayuko noticed it, their empty sake bottles were gone, leaving only relatively full or half-empty ones onto the table. Unfortunately for Sarutobi woman, she and Kaede had ended up sitting right between serious looking Tsunade and Jiraiya.

_Not an enviable situation to be in, _Mayuko thought, grimly, as she noticed Jiraiya eying her, instantly bringing her guard up as she inched towards Tsunade with Kaede (who was eating his preferred food from a bowl the waiter had brought to both animals) staying near Jiraiya.

She remembered little from her childhood and before she somehow left Konoha, but knew that this person was definitely her father's former student (Mayuko knew who she was – that much she remembered – about her parentage and that she had some friends and family left in Konoha, but she didn't know why she had left Konoha; _why _she wasn't there instead she was with Tsunade and Shizune). She remembered – with some difficulty – her dislike and annoyance towards the self-claimed 'super-pervert' and had tried to stay as far away from the man as it had been possible (some of her blurry memories revealed him attempting to peek, whenever she had gone to Onsen with her female friends thus making the woman to slowly dislike and be weary of him).

"…You're Mayuko, right?" Jiraiya asked, eyes narrowed into a calculative glare, voice slightly hesitant. She wondered why wasn't he saying her full name, was it to test if she was an impostor or a real person?

The red-haired woman crossed her arms, and curtly nodded, "Who else than me – Sarutobi Mayuko, ya old pervert." She paused for dramatic effect, taking in the sight of Jiraiya's shocked expression. "Or have you finally gone senile with that old brain of yours to forget your own teacher's daughter, eh, Ero-Sennin?"

Jiriya's eyes twitched, before he pointed a finger at her direction, "YOU BRAT! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME SO?!" He shouted, noticing how his new student stared at him accusingly while nodding. "THIS SETTLES IT – NO IMPOSTOR WOULD KNOW THIS BLASTED NICKNAME YOU'VE GIVEN ME!"

"See? I'm not the only one to call you Ero-Sennin," Naruto pointed out as if it was something he needed to declare. "Kakashi-sensei's – OMFFF?!"

Suddenly, both Jiraiya's and Shizune's hands were on Naruto's mouths, effectively stopping him from saying whatever he was going to and making Mayuko to raise a questioning eyebrow as she tilted her head. These two…they should know that she would only get more curious of whatever this kid was about to say, she would find it out later – acting like that, yeah, as if it wasn't anything suspicious at all.

"Kid – whatever you know about Mayuko-san, please, keep it quiet for now," Shizune whispered to Naruto, leaning close to his ear with a warning look in her black eyes. A look which made the blonde to gulp and swallow in fear, _this nee-chan's scary. _

"You idiot – you don't go around announcing things like that in public!" Jiraiya scolded, before blinking at Shizune. "Wait – shouldn't she know, after all it's about her and Kakashi…"

Shizune shook her head, "No, I'm afraid that Mayuko-san has a partial amnesia – she has some vague memories, starting from childhood to _that _night, but nothing that would help her to know _who _exactly she was. All she knows is that she's from Konoha, that she has some friends back in the village – amongst them is Kakashi-san – and that she's Sandaime-sama's daughter, but nothing else. It's better than we feared, considering the amount of injuries we found her."

Jiraiya frowned, sparing a look at bored looking Mayuko, who had resumed to patting the black panther. He remembered the day Sandaime had announced the murder of his only daughter, Mayuko. He remembered the distraught look on Kakashi's and Asuma's faces, during the funeral and when they were told the news. It had been heart-breaking to see Kakashi's face, at that moment Jiraiya had pitied the Copy Ninja more than ever for as the kid seems to be losing people he loves one by one, the circle having started with his father.

Mayuko's death had been a heavy loss for the village, for Sarutobi-sensei, Asuma and especially Kakashi. Jiraiya could still remember the small girl, who had adored her father and dreamed to become Konoha's first female Hokage; he could remember her smile whenever she was with her father or with Kakashi. He remembered the day she had entered the Academy, the day Mayuko had graduated, the day she had passed her Chunin Exams – hell, for Jiraiya's surprise, he had been there for the girl nearly on all of her life's most important times, expect one to which he hadn't made, much for her anger (and yet, she had understood his reasons).

Naruto started at the woman, remembering how Kakashi had looked like, when had had told them about the Memorial Stone and how he lost his beloved (although he hadn't gone into as much of details as they would've liked, it had sufficed) upon their discovery of his relationship to Sarutobi Mayuko. The Jinchuuriki couldn't help but to wonder how on earth was she alive, how she wasn't dead like everyone in the village believed her to be – and most importantly, _why _wasn't she with Kakashi and her beloved.

It took one uncomfortably long, and heavy, silence in which Jiraiya's face had turned serious and the women were waiting for an unspoken answer as of why they were there. Mayuko couldn't help but to get the feeling that her presence had been unexpected, considering the look on both the kid's and Jiraiya's faces upon hearing that she indeed was Sarutobi Mayuko.

Then, Tsunade changed the subject of their conversation, most likely having gotten a feeling of the daughter of Sandaime Hokage's discomfort. However, once Mayuko thought about it, perhaps the topic of her would've been preferred over what had followed next.

"What a day…seeing old acquaintances everywhere," Tsunade spoke, taking a zip of her sake, making Mayuko to raise an eyebrow – had they met someone else other than Jiraiya during her absence?

At first, Jiraiya said nothing, instead he refilled Tsunade's sake cup, before adding more to his own. His face remained serious, a clear sign to Mayuko that it wasn't going to be a pleasant topic.

"Orochimaru, huh?" Neither Mayuko nor Jiraiya missed Shizune's gasp nor the cold glare from Tsunade, directed at Shizune. "What happened?"

"Nothing much," Tsunade replied, calmly as she briefly closed her eyes, making Mayuko even more suspicious – she _knew _that _something _had happened, but what? "We just said hello."

Wordlessly, the best medic took out a pack of pocket cards, sorting them for what seemed to be like a new game between the two old team-mates. Mayuko crossed arms, leaning further back into the seat, watching the two intently.

"What do you want from me?" She asked, placing the cards on the table, allowing Jiraiya to split them into two and continue sorting.

She could feel Naruto's gaze lingering on her, then at Tsunade, making her to frown slightly – what the hell was this kid's problem?

"I'll get straight to the point," Jiraiya responded, as he finished sorting the two split cards. "Tsunade, the village has requested that you become the Godaime Hokage."

Once the words had been spoken, Tsunade's hand was about to pick up cards froze, while a choking could be heard from the blonde kid (who had been in the middle of eating fish), Shizune's eyes widened, TonTon's stopped eating. Kaede had opened his eyes, amusement twinkling in them, while Mayuko spat out the Sake she had been drinking on the wall, before turning to stare at Jiraiya.

Despite of being frozen from shock, Tsunade was the first one to recover as she started to hand out cards to herself and Jiraiya. Although, Mayuko was the first one to break the silence by muttering, "This old hag – Hokage? Pft," she snickered at the very thought of the old Senju woman sitting behind the desk, patiently doing the paper work as required.

Mayuko couldn't help it, it's not like it was her fault that she found the idea hilarious, despite of Jiraiya's pointed glare. Kaede merely shook his head, knowing that his summoner was going to get it later.

The two Sannins were holding five cards each, having started to play a friendly match, and yet, it determined the outcome of this conversation (or negotiation).

"Have you heard about the Third?" The Toad Sage asked, and at his words, Mayuko froze, refusing to look at him, she refilled her sake cup before taking a huge zip of it.

She remembered having heard a rumor of Konoha having been attacked by Suna and Oto, and the consequences that had come with it – she remembered having prayed that her beloved had survived, only for her hopes to crumble upon having a Konoha Shinobi (who hadn't foolishly, or luckily, recognized her), who had been in the area, to confirm it. It had taken everything to stop Mayuko from attending the funeral and running back to the village.

Shizune looked crestfallen, not having wanted to believe the rumors, despite of Mayuko's words and the rumors. Tsunade, however, was as emotionless as always.

"Orochimaru killed him, right?" Tsunade's voice was cold, uncaring. "I heard from him directly."

Mayuko blinked at this, when did they meet Orochimaru? Was he the reason behind their previous behavior and demand to leave the village as fast as possible?

"Orochimaru killed the Sandaime no Ji-san?" The blonde kid demanded, eyes widened and demanding. "Who is this Orochimaru, dattebayo?"

The dark red-brownish haired woman raised an eyebrow at the kid's question, something about the way he spoke was familiar. Not to mention, why would a kid like him want to know more about the Snake Sannin, expect to avenge her father?

"The other Sannin," Jiraiya responded, eyes never leaving his cards.

"Why?!" The kid demanded, looking at the people gathered around the table. "Sannin are Konoha Shinobi, right? So, why?!"

"Who is this kid?" Mayuko questioned, at the same time as Tsunade did. Her voice was nonchalant one, while Tsunade's was full of irritation.

Jiraiya chuckled, humorlessly, while the kid looked at the two women, frustrated and eyes widened.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the Toad Sage answered, looking at both women, knowing exactly that his team-mate was fully aware, who Naruto was.

_Uzumaki Naruto?_ Mayuko repeated in her mind, the name ringing bells of something but not understanding what it was attempting to tell her.

_This is the Kyubi kid? _Tsunade thought, surprised as she stared at the blonde kid across her.

"Wait a second!" Uzumaki Naruto demanded, placing his hands on the table, as he threw a fist against the table causing plates to jump. Kaede growled, not liking the way this kid was acting. "You haven't answered my question! Who is this Orochimaru guy, who killed old man Hokage?! Hey! He's one of the legendary Sannin, right? Then why aren't you doing anything about him, Ero-Sennin! Also, what do you mean this person is going to become the Godaime Hokage?" He finished his ranting with pointing a rude finger at the drunken looking Tsunade, who was staring at the kid, mildly annoyed.

Mayuko shook her head, rubbing her forehead as before ordering for a new Sake bottle, earning a surprised look from Jiraiya due to the Sarutobi woman's obvious drunken state, and how she could be drinking during such an important conversation.

"Naruto, be quiet for a while," he ordered the obnoxious kid.

"But…"

"Just be quiet," Jiraiya ordered, his black eyes turning to glare at Naruto with a warning look in them, effectively making the kid to sit back down.

Mayuko closed her eyes, accepting the new Sake bottles from the waitress, who was eyeing the group with wide eyes (most likely having recognized all of them, expect Naruto), before the woman scurried away. Mayuko was starting to become bored of the conversation, all she could think of was the soft futon back in their hotel room and a good nights of rest.

"I'll say it again," Jiraiya said, causing Mayuko to open her eyes. "The village has requested that you become the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade. So, what is your reply?"

Mayuko rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what Tsunade's reply was going to be – had Jiraiya become a senile for not knowing his team-mate's utter dislike towards Hokage's position?

"Will you accept the job?" Jiraiya continued on, as everyone turned to watch Tsunade's reaction, and waited for her official reply.

She couldn't tell what was going on through the Senju's head, but could guess that it wasn't a happy memory or thought.

"What's your answer, Tsunade?"

_Tsunade-sama, _Shizune thought, knowing that it would take a miracle for her mentor to accept the job. Naruto, however, gave in to the pressure, claiming that he has no idea what the hell was going on. Mayuko sighed, cursing her high alcohol tolerance, and inwardly praying that the bill wasn't going to be huge – they had enough of debts due to Tsunade's gambling bets to have more.

With a shift movement, Tsunade threw the cards on the table, "Not possible," she said exactly what her two students had known her to say. Tsunade's eyes were hard as she stared at her former team-mate, refusing the offer that she knew Mayuko would've once been overjoyed to accept, that her beloved and younger brother aimed to become.

"I refuse."

_After all, a dream is nothing but a dream._


End file.
